Damage Control
by denise1
Summary: After Pete stumbles across the stakeout, its time for a little damage control


Damage Control

By

Denise

"Report, Colonel," Hammond demanded as Jack sat down.

"Osiris is in a holding cell. The Tok'ra are going to get here when they can. Hopefully they can get the snake out of Sarah."

"And the cop?"

"He's out of surgery; Doc says he'll be fine. He's in isolation on level 23," Jack reported.

"How did this happen?"

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Jack hurried out of the house, having to use Daniel's land line to contact the SGC and its containment teams. Teal'c had Osiris restrained, several thick plastic cuffs tying her arms and legs together in deference to her enhanced strength. "T?"

"I do not know how long the sedative will last."

Jack nodded. "Containment team's on its way." Teal'c nodded and Jack left him, making his way across the street. "Carter?" He knelt beside her.

"The ambulance?"

"On its way." She nodded, her eyes riveted on the man lying on the ground. "Where'd he come from?"

She shook her head. "I don't know," she muttered.

"Carter?"

"I don't know, sir," she said, raising her voice. "I don't know, I…" Her voice trailed off and he sighed, not liking the frustration and worry he saw on her face.

"Ok," he said, patting her on the arm. "We'll figure it out later. Get him back to the base with Sarah and Daniel. Teal'c and I will mop up here." She nodded. "I want him in isolation. We need a little damage control."

"Yes, sir."

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"Carter's thinking he followed her. Which is the only thing that makes sense," Jack said.

"How much did he see?"

"Too much," Jack answered simply. "Carter's zat, Osiris' weapon and shield, I think he might have seen the glow of her eyes."

Hammond sighed. "And the chances of him buying the cover story?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't think so."

"I'm inclined to agree. Two days ago, someone at the FBI ran a background check on Major Carter."

"General?"

"They didn't find anything we didn't want them to find. The point is, someone was curious enough to do it."

"And you think that someone is Pete?" Hammond nodded. "It's possible, sir. Carter did suggest that he was…curious."

"What are you suggesting, Colonel?"

"She didn't tell him anything," Jack hurried to say.

"Are you sure?"

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"You know how you usually try not to let it bother you, that they couldn't have handled the truth anyway?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"They broke up because she couldn't tell him the truth," Jack said. He leaned forward. "Sir, if she wouldn't tell Jacob, she wouldn't tell Pete," Jack said.

Hammond nodded. "I agree. What do you recommend?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I think he could have," she said softly, a small smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes, an all too familiar regretful sadness in her voice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bring him in," Jack said.

"Are you certain, Colonel?"

Jack nodded. "Carter thinks he can handle it."

"And if he can't?" Hammond asked seriously.

"We got a non-disclosure to hang him with," Jack said seriously.

Hammond stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed. "Ok. I'll clear it with the Joint Chiefs. I suspect we'll need to do the same thing with Miss Gardner, as well as find an explanation for her disappearance. Thank you," he dismissed.

Jack got to his feet and left the room, slowly making his way down the halls. This was definitely not one of their finest hours. Yes, they'd got Osiris, that was a good thing. And yes, Daniel had gained some ground on finding out where the Lost City was. And yes, everyone had made it out alive, that was always a plus.

But he couldn't lose the feeling that something had changed, that something had been damaged. And that time had  yet to tell if that damage could be fixed or if it was irreparable.

Almost without realizing it, he found himself outside Sam's lab. Stopping at the threshold, he looked in, not surprised to find her sitting at her bench. Her laptop was on but he could see that she was just staring at the screen. He coughed to get her attention. She looked up, clearly startled. "Colonel?" He moved in closer, leaning against the bench. She took a deep breath. "Sir, I wanted to—"

"Don't sweat it," he interrupted. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Excuse me?" She raised her eyebrows, seeming to take offense at his words.

"I don't mean with you," he said quickly. "I…hell, we got how many people working here? I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to get too curious." She stared at him for a few seconds, then looked down, obviously not believing him, but also not wanting to admit her disbelief. "Fraiser said Daniel could go home, although he won't go," he continued, changing the subject to fill the suddenly uncomfortable silence.

"How's Sarah?" she asked.

He shrugged. "The same. We're 'insolent Tau'ri' and she's going to make us pay," he said.

"She's scared. Or Osiris is." She sighed. "I just hope the Tok'ra can get him out without killing her, for Daniel's sake."

"I'm sure Sarah'd appreciate it too, if she's still in there."

"She is," she said quietly. "Somewhere." She turned her head, her eyes skittering around the room, landing everywhere but him. She crossed her arms over her chest, the tension coming off her in near visible waves.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Who is he?"

"Now what makes you think—"

"Humming."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I recommended to Hammond that we tell Pete," he said, dropping the words between them. They landed like a bag of marbles on a tile floor, clattering and rolling loudly, impossible to control and even more difficult to corral.

"What?" She looked back at him, her eyes wide.

"Or actually, you," he continued, ignoring her interruption. "He'll probably take it better from you."

"Colonel—"

"Carter, he knows already," he interrupted. "Enough to be dangerous anyway. What's that cliché? In for a penny, in for a pound?"

"But--"

"He'll have to sign the non-disclosure and wade through all that red tape but, chances are they'll go for it."

She shook her head. "Sir, we've had other people get too close. We haven't told any of them."

"No," he agreed. "No, we haven't."

"Then…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's not serious."

"Yet it is…hum worthy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You said he can handle it," he said. "That's good enough for me." He sighed. "I'll let you know what Hammond says. You may want to brush up on your regulation yadda, yadda, 'if I tell ya I'll have to shoot ya' stuff," he said.

"You mean 11C9?"

"Whatever. Just tell him to keep his ass away from our stakeouts. Teal'c does take threats to his donuts seriously you know."

She chuckled. "I'll tell him, sir. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he said, turning on his heel and leaving the room. "Don't mention it," he whispered, pausing for a second out in the hall before taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders.

He walked down the empty hall, his footsteps echoing off the barren concrete walls. Summoning the elevator, he got in, the doors closing behind him. He pushed the button, the faint memory of off key humming accompanying him as he rode to the surface.

Fin


End file.
